Martz Keys Victory Over Lady Warriors
BENTON — It took one swing to completely flip the softball script Monday afternoon at Fairfield.
DJ Martz crushed a two-out, two-run double to plate the first two runs of an eventual 5-0 Fairfield win over Wawasee. The double reversed what had been an all-Wawasee game up to that point, which included the Lady Warriors throwing a runner out at the plate just two batters before Martz’s big hit.
Fairfield got the ball rolling in the fifth after Wawasee pitcher Kylie Norris had retired the first 13 batters she faced, including a strikeout to open the inning, while right fielder Victoria Warren gunned down pinch-runner Grace Miller at home after Payton Kammerdiener cracked Fairfield’s first hit.
With Wawasee looking like it might get out of the inning unscathed, Kyla Bender drew a walk then joined Kammerdiener at home after Martz rocketed a ball to the centerfield fence. Quite the feat considering a 20 mile-per-hour wind blowing directly across center to right.
“I think we just settled down and were more patient, not swinging at bad pitches in that sequence in the fifth,” said Fairfield head coach John Skibbe. “DJ had a great hit for us, and that really seemed to get us going. They made a great play on the line drive Payton hit, so it was good for us to come back from that.”
A pair of Wawasee errors and a double steal allowed Fairfield to score its third and fourth runs of the game in the sixth, which became the unraveling of Norris. The Wawasee senior left the game with a line of 5.2 innings, just two hits allowed, three walks and four strikeouts.
“Norris looked fantastic, she looked more confident than she did in her first start. Maybe the rest is what she needed,” said Wawasee head coach Hans Griepentrog with a smile. “She did a really good job tonight for us.”
Fairfield starter Danica Mast was equally impressive after a rough start. Mast worked out of a two-on, no-out situation in the first after Aly Anderson and Kylee Rostochak both reached base to open the game. Madi Anderson roped a shot into the right-center gap, but the ball was chased down by right fielder Karen Schwartz, who then cut down Aly Anderson at second for a double play. Catcher Riley Troyer then nailed Rostochak trying to steal second to get out of the jam.
Mast worked six innings, giving up just three hits and one walk, otherwise shutting Wawasee down after the shaky first inning. Mast had six strikeouts while Kammerdiener worked an inning of flawless relief. Madi Anderson had two of the three hits.
“Danica did a super job for us,” Skibbe said. “To come out like this and pitch tonight with this wind was really good. We’re getting ready for a couple conference games coming up this week. Even when we pulled her out for an inning, she came right back in and picked up right where she left off. After that first inning, she really settled down and threw very well.”
The win moves the Lady Falcons to 2-0 on the young season while the Lady Warriors drop to 0-2. Neither team will have much time to reflect on the game as both clubs have games tomorrow night. Fairfield is at Churubusco in a Northeast Corner Conference opener while Wawasee travels to Columbia City to renew acquaintances with the old rivals. Griepentrog is happy the turnaround is quick.
“We’re still a young team that still gets down a little when we get behind, but we looked 15 times better than we did against Elkhart Central,” Griepentrog said. “With 11 days of no practice, I am very happy with how we played tonight.
“I think its good for us to get outside and play. We’ll throw Ousley tomorrow, and she hasn’t seen the circle yet, that’s how little we’ve been outside. She’ll go against Columbia City, we’ll see how she does.”